scream (redirected from screaming)

piercing scream

Fig. a very loud and shrill scream. Suddenly, there was a piercing scream from the next room. Bob heard Susan's piercing scream and ran to help her.

See also: pierce

scream someone down

to scream loudly at someone; to outscream someone. (Compare this with shout someone down.) The angry crowd screamed down the politician. They screamed her down and drove her from the platform.

scream something out

to say something in a very loud voice. She screamed his name out for everyone to hear. Liz screamed out the winner's name.

See also: out

scream at someone or something

to yell or screech at someone or something. Why are you screaming at me? Go scream at the dog, not me!

scream bloody murder and yell bloody murder

Fig. to complain bitterly; to complain unduly. When we put him in an office without a window, he screamed bloody murder. There is something wrong next door. Everyone is yelling bloody murder.

See also: bloody, murder

scream down (on someone or something)

Fig. [for something, such as birds or bombs] to dive down on someone or something, with a loud noise or very swiftly. The bombs screamed down on the helpless peasants. As the bombs screamed down, some people ran and some prayed.

scream for something

to yell or shriek for something. The teenage audience applauded and screamed for more. The children said they were screaming for ice cream.

scream with something

to scream because of something, such as pain, anger, rage, etc. Frank screamed with pain when the car door closed on his fingers. The teacher screamed with rage when the student talked back.

so mad I could scream

very mad. I am just so mad I could scream! Why is he such a jerk? she makes me so mad I could scream.

See also: could, mad

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[laugh/scream/shout etc.] your head off

to laugh/scream/shout etc. very much and very loudly He laughed his head off when he read the letter.

See also: head, laugh

scream blue murder  (British, American & Australian informal) also scream bloody murder (American & Australian informal)

to shout or to complain very loudly Readers screamed blue murder when the price of their daily paper went up. Someone took the child's ice cream away and he started screaming bloody murder.

See also: blue, murder

scream the place down  (informal)

to scream very loudly You can scream the place down if you like, but no one will hear you.

See also: place

shout something from the rooftops

if you say you want to shout some news from the rooftops, you mean that you want to tell everyone about it because you are so excited When I discovered I was pregnant, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

See also: shout

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scream bloody murder

to shout or to complain very loudly Sometimes the baby screams bloody murder when we give her a bath. I'm so frustrated with the telephone company, I want to scream bloody murder.

Usage notes: sometimes holler bloody murder and yell bloody murder, with the same meaning

See also: bloody, murder

shout something from the rooftops also scream something from the rooftops

to tell people about something that excites you Alex was so happy, he wanted to shout the news from the rooftops.

See also: shout